by Hammed Sonny | Nov 14, 2021 | Multilingualism
(Written by Callum Madle & Phoebe Harrison)
Talar du engelska?
When we think about which places have the best grip on English as a second language, most people will naturally think of Scandinavia – with good reason. Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland consistently feature in the top ten of the EF English Proficiency Index’s rankings, with the 2020 findings showing these four countries at second, third, fourth, and fifth position respectively, a highly impressive feat. Scandinavians’ high proficiency in English is largely an accepted fact, but we seldom question why they are just so good at it – here are the main reasons.
Shared Language Family
The principal reason why our Scandinavian cousins find English easier to pick up is because English, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, and Icelandic all belong to the same core language family – namely, Germanic (Finnish is an outlier, belonging to the Finno-Ugric language family). As a result, there are many linguistic similarities between the Scandinavian languages and English, though particularly with Swedish, which shares roughly 1,558 words with its English relative. There are also many examples of Scandinavian countries adopting English loanwords (like taxi, hacker, lunch, badminton, and t-shirt, to name a few) to replace expressions in their own language, particularly when it comes to pop culture or technological terminology, as well as other foreign or new concepts. Additionally, there is also less of a divide between the general grammar and syntax of Scandinavian languages and that of English. For instance, the Scandinavian languages mostly follow the SVO (subject + verb + object) sentence structure, much like English, and verb conjugation is also very similar – unlike the Romance languages, (such as French, Spanish, and Italian) verbs do not change their form depending on the subject, meaning the process of learning, and using verb tenses in English is fairly straightforward for a Scandinavian. In short, the task of picking up and being able to use English is generally less daunting for a Scandinavian person than it would be for a Japanese person, for example, as a Scandinavian will be able to recognise many similarities between English and their own language that make the learning process far easier.
Here are some examples of Scandinavian-language words that are similar to their English counterparts:
Swedish – ko/cow, kyssa/to kiss, kniv/knife, komma/come, hat/hatta, ofta/often
Danish – hus/house, arm/arm, sten/stone, dans/dance, grøn/green, syg/sick
Norwegian – katt/cat, orm/worm, vindu/window, dør/door, bok/book, eple/apple
Education
In Scandinavia, high proficiency in English is also owed to how the education system values and teaches the language. In schools English is often considered a core subject rather than an elective one, and pupils start to learn it at the young age of around seven or eight, meaning that by time they are teenagers, the majority of students will have at least a basic or conversational knowledge of the English language. Compare this to the UK, where we mostly learn foreign languages from GCSE level onwards, where such subjects are usually optional anyway. At Higher Education or University Level, a lot of textbooks and resources can also be in English, and classes may even be taught in the language, meaning that most young adults in modern day Scandinavia are highly likely to have a good – if not fluent – level of English. To summarise, the importance of English in the overall Nordic education system is arguably one of the main reasons why so many Scandinavians grow up to speak English confidently, perhaps setting an example to other countries who do not value or integrate foreign-language learning as much into their respective curriculums.
Consumption of English-language media
Another factor that has led to high English proficiency throughout Scandinavian countries is their population’s consumption of English-language media. While most countries that import foreign-language television programmes or films tend to dub the media into their own language, Scandinavian TV stations use subtitles and retain the original English audio. This is partly due to economic circumstances. Larger, wealthier countries, such as Italy and Germany, can afford the costly nature of dubbing, whereas for countries with a smaller population, like Denmark, Sweden or Finland, subtitling is a more affordable option. As well as the many subtitled programmes on national TV stations, the BBC has an English language station, BBC Brit, that broadcasts in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland. Constant exposure to the English language through media gives Scandinavians’ English language abilities a significant boost, as consuming foreign language media with subtitles can lead to the acquisition of foreign language skills. In fact, a 2011 study by the European Commission on the use of subtitling in 33 countries found that “subtitling helps to improve the mastery of foreign languages” and can “contribut[e] to creating an environment that encourage[s] multilingualism”. Many Scandinavians are also exposed to the English language through music. Currently, the charts in Sweden, Norway and Denmark feature plenty of English-language artists, such as Dua Lipa, Adele, Ed Sheeran, and the Weeknd. With such a consistent and unavoidable exposure to English, it is no wonder that so many Scandinavians are also proficient speakers of the language.
English as a language of business
In the Scandinavian countries, English is viewed as an important language of business, and treated as a working language, or lingua franca. The Nordic countries exported goods worth a value of €364 billion, primarily to the EU. The primary exports of the Nordic countries are natural resources, like petroleum, as well as paper, fish, and machinery. As Sweden, Denmark, and Norway primarily export their goods and business to EU countries where English is still used as lingua franca, English language skills and a knowledge of the English language are significant to the Scandinavian economies. In addition to this, the Swedish brand IKEA, worth $17.9 billion, trades globally, especially in English-language countries, like the US and the UK. Since the Scandinavian countries’ economies rely on business and trade with foreign countries, particularly those that either speak English as a national language or use it as a lingua franca, it is important for people involved in business in countries like Norway, Sweden, and Denmark to be proficient in the English language. 1.75 billion people globally speak English, thus the language’s significance is clear, especially for the Scandinavian countries, and Scandinavian companies such as IKEA, H&M, Spotify, and Volvo, who rely on trade with the global economy.
Conclusion
Many factors, such as the significance of global trade for Scandinavian countries, the consumption of English-language media, as well as education and similarities between English and Scandinavian languages, have reinforced the importance of English for the Scandinavian countries and highlight why the language has such a prevalence in the region. Evidently, many Scandinavians are immersed in the English language from a young age, with the language continuing to play a significant role throughout their lives. If you require translation or interpreting services in any language, you can get a quote here from Crystal Clear Translation.
by Hammed Sonny | Nov 9, 2021 | Translation
(Written by Callum Madle and Phoebe Harrison)
The age of machines?
In an environment where new technological advances are becoming commonplace, it is easier than ever to access translation tools in everyday life. Google Translate, arguably the ‘go-to’ software for most people’s translation needs, now offers over 108 languages, for example. Yet before there was Google Translate (or any other machine translator for that matter) there were human translators, a group that is also growing in number. Whilst many people may automatically defer to the quickfire translation that companies like Google provide, it is the human touch that is the better choice in the long run, with machine translation actually offering more problems than solutions – let us explain why.
Why do people use Google Translate and other machine translators?
To begin with, why do some people (wrongly) prefer to use machine translators? There are a few reasons. Firstly, a lot of machine translation software (such as Google, DeepL and Reverso) is free to use, which is arguably a plus. These programmes are designed to be accessible, with easily downloadable app versions that work very fast – useful, if you’re looking to translate a French road sign or simple questions like ‘Where is the train station?’ in Hindi. However, there is a reason (beyond wanting to be accessible, which of course is a noble goal) why these machine translators are free and easy to use; it is an issue of quality, range, and accuracy, where – as we shall demonstrate – a human mind is a far superior tool.
Quality of Translation
When using a machine translator, the software will provide the user with a translation that is very literal – word for word rather than meaning for meaning. Unlike humans, machine translators cannot ‘read’ text in the same way a human can – instead, they are simply processing information in a way that is disconnected from the living world, and even though machine translation software has a ‘memory’, the algorithm is fairly slow to learn and update accordingly, which can obviously cause problems and errors. Speaking of errors, machine translators’ literal approach to translation can cause numerous mistakes in terms of grammar and syntax, particularly with more lexically complex or lesser known languages – a paragraph translated from even simple English into a widespread language like Spanish will almost certainly have less syntactical errors than the same passage translated into a language like Uzbek or Nepali, especially when the machine is still ‘getting to grips’ with information on how such languages work, for example. Unfortunately, these errors permeate translations in widely spoken languages, too. For example, Google Translate translates the French sentence ‘Ce film était impressionant de réalisme!’ as ‘This film was impressive realism!’ when in reality a more accurate and appropriate translation would be ‘This film was amazingly realistic!’. As you can see, even minor mistranslations can alter the tone, style, and overall accuracy of a source text, mistranslations that a seasoned human translator can recognise and avoid, providing a client with a finished product that is sleek and free of errors.
Professional Translators Have Certifications and Accreditations
One other essential reason to hire a professional translator, as opposed to using machine translation, is the fact that a professional translator will usually have specific translation accreditations and certifications. Many professional translators are members of organisations such as the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI), the American Translators Association (ATA), or the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL) which offers a Diploma in Translation. Another important certification that professional translators may acquire is the ISO 17100:2015 Standard for Translation certification. Not only are these certifications proof of quality assurance and the professional’s ability to provide excellent work, but they are also vital when working with organisations such as the Home Office or other government clients. For instance, the Home Office only accepts certified translations by a professional translator, as well as details of the translator’s credentials. In the translation industry, certifications and accreditations of a professional translator are proof of a quality that cannot be replicated by machine translation software such as Google Translate.
Specialised Knowledge
One huge advantage that human translators have over their machine counterparts is specialist knowledge. Most human translators often have a degree in or native knowledge of their chosen language, meaning they can translate accurately across a wide or specific range of subjects, whilst also possessing taught knowledge of translation theory and techniques. Google translate might be handy for translating names from a menu, but when it comes to items such as official legal documents or medical records (where accuracy is of the utmost importance) a human translator is absolutely the best option for the client, with many translators specialising in these specific areas of translation and interpretation, therefore being able to utilise official terminology and jargon that a machine may not recognise. As a result, most companies already employ official translators for this purpose, avoiding ‘fast track’ machine translators that could invite financial or legal repercussions owing to the slightest error.
Cultural Insight and Awareness of Professional Translators
Unlike machine translation services, translators and interpreters have attained cultural insight and awareness that they can use to enhance their translation skills. Professionals are required to have a good level of understanding of the complexities and nuances that exist within different languages, which are also known within translation as the “conceptual level”. A translator working with the English language would have to be aware of specific cultural concepts like Bonfire Night, Boxing Day, or an event like Remembrance Sunday. Similarly, an Arabic translator would have to be aware of cultural concepts like Tayammum, an important Islamic purification ritual, and how to translate its significance into another language within which a specific word to convey its importance might not exist. Accurate and sensitive translation requires cultural knowledge and that a translator can correctly express the essence of what their client is trying to communicate. Undoubtedly, a machine translation service can provide a basic translation, but it would not have the skills of a professional translator to portray the multitude of aspects of a specific language within the context of another language.
Neural Machine Translation
An instant translation from Google Translate or DeepL removes the need for a human translator and reduces costs. But how can you be sure that the resulting translation isn’t going to end up being (potentially) menacing? In 2018, users of Google Translate discovered that by typing the word “dog” 19 times and translating the text from Maori to English using the machine translation service, resulted in a worrying Doomsday message. Of course, this strange incident could be easily dismissed as a malfunction, but it highlights a deeper problem with machine translation services. Google Translate utilises neural networks as part of a technique known as Neural Machine Translation. This process involves the machine learning a source text in one language, and a target text in another, to “train a single, large neural network that reads a sentence and outputs a correct translation”. As a result, if a machine translation service which uses Neural Machine Translation encounters an error or cannot accurately translate something, it might inaccurately use the generic text it has been trained with as the translation. If a company chose to use Google Translate or another machine translation service, it is entirely possible they might end up with an inaccurate translation and potentially cause embarrassment for themselves that would have been easily avoided by employing a professional, who can simply utilise their well-honed skills (and no machine-based neural networks) to provide an accurate and reliable translation.
Confidentiality Concerns about Google Translate
Google’s terms of service give the company the right to use, distribute, reproduce, and publish information or content you share using their services. Unfortunately, that means whatever text one might input when they use Google Translate may be used or stored by the company at any time. This issue can raise numerous concerns, especially if you have used Google Translate to translate confidential information for a client. This problem could also arise if someone hires a non-accredited translator, who might not have the same code of conduct as a professional accredited translator. A professional translator will more than likely have a code of conduct, or a promise to not share information they have been provided with by a client. In addition to this, a client can also sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with a professional translator which further safeguard confidential documents.
Supporting small businesses and freelance workers
An aspect of the human vs machine debate that is seldom recognised, the decision to use human rather than machine translators is also an economical and ethical one. Many translation services are provided by small independent businesses and freelancers. In choosing to work with them rather than relying on an app or website, the potential client makes a positive contribution towards a company or freelancer’s livelihood, often allowing them to then expand their outreach and make their services more accessible to a larger pool of people. This expansion would be invaluable, especially to groups who require translators for niche languages or for humanitarian reasons. It is also worth noting that corporations like Google are not short of money, and it is a far better option to pay for top quality translation by a professional than to copy and paste a free one that is full of errors and not fit for purpose. Whilst Google may be quick, freelance translators are also able to work flexibly due to the nature of their job, and any special requirements can be discussed to accommodate both client and translator – it is impossible to have the same understanding with a machine.
Concluding Thoughts
The best option for any client who seeks to have something translated is to employ the services of a professional translator. Google Translate and other machine translation services may provide a quick service that cuts costs and beats deadlines, but it cannot compare with the cultural insight, specialised knowledge and enhanced quality provided by a professional translator. Moreover, the problematic terms of service used by Google Translate and technological issues further complicate the effectiveness of machine translation services. If you require translation or interpreting services in any language, you can get a quote here from Crystal Clear Translation.
by Hammed Sonny | Nov 3, 2021 | Multilingualism
(Written by Callum Madle, Shannon Walker and Phoebe Harrison)
In the United Kingdom, we live in an (increasingly) monolingual society, a reality reinforced by the fact that English is often considered as the most ‘international’ tongue, meaning most native English speakers do not feel the need to study other languages. For this reason, most parents do not consider the possibility of raising their child as bilingual or multilingual, because from their point of view, what would be the point? Despite this growing mindset, government statistics show that as of January 2021, 1.6 million (19.2%) of UK school pupils are recorded as having another language alongside English, with 19.3% of pupils recorded as having another first language, with English as their second (ESL). Given these not insignificant figures, it raises the question: do children raised as bilingual or multilingual have advantages (or indeed, disadvantages) over their monolingual peers, and should we bring our children up knowing more than one language?
Advantages of raising a child as bilingual or multilingual
To begin with, there are arguably many social benefits to raising a child as bilingual or multilingual. Firstly, the child maintains a strong connection to the culture of the language they have been raised in, particularly if one or both parents are fluent or native speakers – in addition to this, communication with extended family overseas is far easier for any bilingual or multilingual child, increasing both a sense of familial belonging and a pride in their own background. In terms of wider social interaction, bilingual children have an ability to make friends from a larger and more diverse social background, and some studies have shown that preschool-age children who are raised as bilingual have an easier time in understanding the desires and perspectives of others, as well as possessing an increased sensitivity to certain features of communication in their peers (tone of voice etc.). As such, we can infer that those multilingual children are better equipped to deal with general social interactions from an earlier age than their monolingual peers are and are also therefore likely to be more confident in themselves and more in tune with the wants and needs of others, an advantage for any child.
As we compare multilingual and monolingual children, it is important to address the supposed cognitive advantages that the former group possesses over the latter. Studies have shown that children raised as bilingual or in a multilingual environment have been shown to develop an earlier understanding of theory of mind and are able to differentiate between different spoken languages from a much earlier age than monolingual children, as well as possessing a slightly greater aptitude for memorisation, a skill that carries on to later life. In addition to this, bilingual children (and later adults) outperform their monolingual companions in terms of executive function – for example, multilingual children and adults find it easier to remain focused for a greater period of time and are able to switch between tasks with greater ease. Given the above advantages, it is also unsurprising that children raised as bilingual or multilingual are far more likely to be able to learn another language (or languages) at a later stage, often having a greater understanding of grammatical structures and an enhanced vocabulary. In short, these developmental bonuses can give children a greater head start in life both in and outside the classroom, making them more likely to succeed in later life when compared to children raised as monolingual, having ‘trained’ their brain from a young age.
One other obvious benefit to raising a child as bilingual is that they will have a greater access to a larger and more impressive cultural sphere. A multilingual child will be able to experience a more diverse selection of cultural artefacts, such as films, music, and literature. These multilingual children will understandably have a more expansive outlook from a young age because of such exposure to more international media, putting them at an advantage over their monolingual peers who may have a more insular pool of cultural interests that may come to limit their overall outer perspectives.
Raising a child as a bilingual or multilingual speaker may also provide job opportunities, as well as the ability to travel and work in other countries. Being able to speak more than one language can boost a multilingual or bilingual speakers wage by between 10% and 15%. Studies have also found that countries with a high number of multilingual speakers, such as Switzerland, also have a higher proportion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from international trade. In the UK, an estimated 68% of those who spoke a second language said that they actively used their second language as part of their job. English is used widely as a lingua franca in the business world, but the ability to speak other languages such as German, Arabic, French, Spanish or Mandarin can increase one’s prospect of earning a higher wage.
To some extent, the ability of bilingualism and multilingualism can also contribute in later life to a better quality of ageing and brain health. Some scientific studies have found that lifelong bilingual and multilingual speakers consistently stimulate areas of their brain that could protect them from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, researchers in northern Italy found that bilingual speakers with similar dementia symptoms to monolingual speakers were on average five years older than the other patients, and also discovered that their ability to speak a second language meant, despite their illness, they had better levels of brain function and “stronger connections between certain brain areas compared to those who only speak one language”.
Moreover, a study of 600 stroke victims by the University of Edinburgh in 2015 found that 40.5% of stroke victims who were multilingual speakers had recovered a normal level of mental functions, whereas 19.6% of monolingual speakers in the study recovered the same level of mental functions. While there are no definitive answers toward the health benefits of speaking more than one language, it is still true that multilingualism and bilingualism can provide beneficial cognitive stimulation and requires a significant amount of brain activity, which could aid in the preservation of grey matter in the brain.
Potential challenges for a bilingual child
Whilst there are an array of advantages to being a bilingual child, it is still important to consider some of the challenges that may arise throughout a child’s development and language learning journey. It is worth noting that each child is different, therefore their response to bilingualism may vary.
One disadvantage of being bilingual is that bilingual and multilingual speakers have a smaller vocabulary in the languages they speak than monolingual speakers. In addition to this, the time taken for bilingual speakers to retrieve words when thinking is slower than for a monolingual speaker. When tested, bilingual speakers had a lower semantic fluency and verbal fluency score than a monolingual speaker. This may cause some issues for bilingual or multilingual speakers, but the mental switch between languages can also be viewed as a positive, since the process stimulates neuroplasticity and can strengthen the brain’s cognitive processes.
Some argue that being bilingual or multilingual can cause a child to be confused and mix up words from the different languages they speak. This confusion is referred to as code mixing. However, this language mixing is regarded as being normal for bilingual children and is the result of the child trying to navigate between two languages. In fact, scientific research suggests that bilingual infants, for instance, “readily distinguish their two languages and show no evidence of confusion”, and, by 4 months old, a bilingual infant can distinguish between rhythmically similar languages.
Whilst some children may have mastered speaking more than one language, reading and writing in both could arise as a different challenge. Suppose a young person is fluent in one language, in the process of learning how to speak the second proficiently basic reading and writing skills may get missed. This could result in a negative impact on the child’s learning development. For example, a child who has moved from Poland to England, is likely to only be encountering English on a more regular basis when they begin school- although the child may have learnt basic English-speaking skills in their surrounding environment it’s not as probable that they will have the ability to read and write in English straight away.
The term receptive bilingualism refers to an individual who has a solid understanding of a certain dialect through the means of excessive exposure, however they are unable to communicate in it. This is something that’s quite common amongst bilingual children. One theory suggests it is most likely to affect children with bilingual parents. When parents or guardians can speak two languages, the children are more likely to be exposed to it from a very young age, gauging a moderate understanding of the vocabulary and grammatical elements. Receptive bilingualism occurs through a lack of reinforcement and emphasis on the content the child is taking in. It makes sense that this would occur in this instance due to the heightened exposure to another language. For example, an English family who have moved to France; a young child may be present with their parents speaking French in public, but the need for emphasis in these cases is minimal- this results in the child adapting to the language but not gaining the ability to communicate in it.
We should consider the role that prejudice could play in the upbringing of a bilingual child. It is unfortunate that bilingualism may not be as celebrated as it should be. Some children may not have grasped an understanding of cultural and ethnic variations which could possibly result in uncompassionate and thoughtless assumptions being made about people. If this type of prejudice does occur, it could have a detrimental effect on the individual in question, with the potential of bullying and isolation coming to light. To refrain from these types of matters occurring, it would be advantageous for children to be educated on diversity from an appropriate age.
An interesting point to raise, which although considered a myth, is the part that cultural bias may play in families. In some rare and extreme cases, some parents are unhappy with their children learning another language- it has been found that a small minority of adults believe this to be an attack on their culture. Whilst there is no strong evidence to support the claim, there is known to be a misconception that learning a second language could slow down a child’s learning and development.
How can these challenges be overcome?
In instances where bilingual children may face any of the challenges mentioned above, there are many ways in which they can be minimised or overcome completely. A great deal of the language learning can take place in the home, with regular and balanced exposure to both languages. Immersing a child into language every day can pay off in ten folds, with the integration of speaking two languages in day-to-day activities for instance. Whilst parents may consider a few of these tasks to aid their child’s learning, it remains important to ensure the learning process is fun and enjoyable.
Concluding thoughts
It seems that there are ample benefits to a child being bilingual. Whether it be increased cognitive skills or standing strong suit for employment in their older years, it would be wise to presume that the benefits outweigh the challenges. Even when challenges occur which may hinder the child’s abilities, it is important to note there are strategic ways to overcome these obstacles. Possessing the ability to speak two languages to a proficient level could pay dividends to future generations: opening doors to new prospects along with a seasoned understanding of cultural and ethnic diversity.
If you require an interpreter in a certain language, visit Crystal Clear Translation for a quote.
by Hammed Sonny | Oct 27, 2021 | London
(Written by Callum Madle)
London is an incredibly diverse and populous city with a total population of 9 million people. It should therefore come as no surprise that within such a large city an amazing plethora of different languages are spoken. Overall, the most widely spoken foreign languages in London are Polish, Bengali, and Gujurati, with these languages also being amongst the most widely spoken in the country.
But specifically, within the London boroughs, which foreign languages are the most widely spoken? According to the 2011 Census – the most recent and accurate data for languages in London and the UK – Polish, Turkish, Bengali, and Lithuanian to name a few, comprise the many different languages spoken within the London boroughs.
Polish
The Polish language is the most widely spoken foreign language in 7 different London boroughs. These include Barnet, Bromley, Ealing, Lewisham, Merton, Richmond, and Wandsworth. Polish is a Slavic language that is part of the Indo-European language family, and is spoken by an estimated total of 147,816 speakers in London. It is also the second most widely spoken foreign language in the UK and is spoken by 40 million people around the world.
Turkish
Turkish is the most widely spoken foreign language in 4 of the London Boroughs. The boroughs within which Turkish is most popular are Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, and Islington. In London as a whole, the Turkish language is spoken by 71,242 people, with this number accounting for 4.1 % of the non-English speaking population of the capital. Turkish is the most widely spoken Turkic language, spoken by approximately 79 million people globally.
Bengali
Bengali, also known as Bangla, is a member of the Indo-Aryan language family. It is spoken most prominently in three London Boroughs. These boroughs are Camden, Newham, and Tower Hamlets. The Bengali language is spoken by 114,267 people in the capital, and, in fact, out of the three London Boroughs where the language is spoken, Tower Hamlets has the highest number of Bengali speakers in the entire country.
French
French, a Romance language from the Indo-European language family, is a popular foreign spoken in a total of three of the London Boroughs. These include City of London, Hammersmith & Fulham, and Kensington & Chelsea. There are 84,191 French speakers in total in London, and as of 2014, there were an estimated 300,000 French citizens living in the capital.
Punjabi
The Punjabi language, part of the Indo-Aryan language family, is spoken the most in three London Boroughs, namely Bexley, Hillingdon, and Hounslow. 68,525 people in total speak Punjabi in London and the language is spoken by 273,000 people in the UK, making it the second most widely spoken foreign language in the country.
Tamil
Tamil, one of the Dravidian languages, is the most widely spoken foreign language in three London Boroughs, including Croydon, Kingston, and Sutton. 70,565 people speak Tamil in the capital, and globally the language is spoken by an estimated 75 million people.
Gujurati
Gujurati, one of the Indo-Aryan languages, is the second most popular foreign language spoken in Brent and Harrow. This language is spoken by 101,676 people in total in the capital, and by 213,094 people across Britain. While most of the Gujurati speakers in London and the rest of the UK speak Standard Gujurati, some also speak a dialect of the language known as Kutchi.
Lithuanian
Lithuanian is spoken most notably in Barking and Havering. In total, the Lithuanian language is spoken by an estimated 35,341 people in London. Lithuanian is a Baltic language and is part of the Balto-Slavic group of languages within the Indo-European language family. It is the official language of Lithuania and is also one of the official languages of the European Union.
Urdu
The Urdu language is the most widely spoken foreign language in the London boroughs of Redbridge and Waltham Forest. In total, Urdu is spoken by 78,667 people in London and is also the fourth most widely spoken foreign language in the UK, spoken by an estimated 269,000 people. Urdu is a member of the Indo-Aryan language family and is spoken globally by 170 million speakers.
Foreign Languages Spoken Most Prominently in One London Borough
The following languages are listed as the second most spoken languages (the primary language spoken being English) in only one London borough. In Westminster, Arabic is listed as the second most language. Additionally, in Greenwich, Nepalese is the most widely spoken foreign language. In the London Borough of Lambeth, Portuguese is in fact the most widely spoken foreign language, and in Southwark, Spanish is also the most widely spoken foreign language.
In Conclusion
A wide array of foreign languages are spoken throughout the 32 different London boroughs, from across the spectrum of different language families from around the world. It is surely no coincidence that London is one of the most linguistically diverse cities in the world. If you should require translation of any of the most common foreign languages spoken in the London boroughs, such as Polish, Bengali, Gujarati, Lithuanian, Urdu, Punjabi, or any other language, you would benefit from the help of a Crystal Clear Translation interpreter or translator. At Crystal Clear Translation, you will find many efficient and reliable translators able to navigate the intricacies of many different languages – click here for a quote.
by Hammed Sonny | Oct 11, 2021 | Refugees
Written by Callum Madle and Shannon Walker.
Turkey is home to the largest worldwide refugee operation with nearly 4 million refugees having fled to the country. With the continuous impact of conflict, it has become paramount for individuals to be able to seek refuge in a safer environment. 99% of refugees within Turkey are Syrian, with the remaining proportion coming from countries such as Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
The varying array of culture and ethnicity has meant that multiple languages are known to be spoken throughout the refugee communities. Whilst Arabic is commonly used by humanitarian organisation members to communicate, many other languages are still utilised- but what is to be considered the lingua franca of refugees in Turkey?
Dari and Farsi
Dari and Farsi are both Indo-Iranian languages spoken throughout Afghanistan and Iran. Farsi, a moniker for the Persian language, shares a number of distinguishing similarities with Dari, however both remain as separate dialects. Within the Turkish refugee community, Dari and Farsi are considered minority languages, with only a small proportion of refugees as native speakers. With an increased prevalence of Arabic dialect, Dari and Persian speakers face a language barrier, with the means for appropriate translation and interpretation.
Arabic (Modern Standard Arabic, Levantine Arabic)
3.6 million refugees in Turkey are from Syria, where Arabic is the sole official language. Many humanitarian organisations in the country use Arabic to communicate with the Syrian refugees. However, there are a variety of different Arabic dialects spoken by the Syrian refugees in Turkey.
For instance, Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) is spoken by just 686,000 people in the country. Another Arabic dialect spoken by refugees in Turkey is called North Mesopotamian Arabic (520,000 speakers in Turkey). A significant number of Arabic speakers in Turkey speak a dialect known as North Levantine Arabic (spoken by an estimated total of 1.13 million people in Turkey). North Levantine Arabic is one of the dialects that comprises the Levantine Arabic language group, also known as Shami. The different dialects of Arabic spoken in Turkey by refugees are classified as minority languages.
Kurmanji
Although the majority of refugees in Turkey are from Syria, there are an estimated 370,000 refugees of different nationalities in the country. Not all the refugees, primarily from Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan, speak Arabic. In fact, another significant lingua franca spoken by refugees in Turkey is Kurmanji. The Kurmanji dialect of the Kurdish languages is spoken by an estimated 8.15 million people in Turkey. Out of that number, 3 million of those Kurdish speakers in Turkey are monolinguals. Kurmanji derives from the Indo-European language family, and uses a Latin script, known as the Hawar alphabet. The dialect is also a subject-object-verb (SOV) language, utilises the female and male gender forms, and four grammatical cases.
The use of the Hawar alphabet, as well as the Kurmanji dialect in general, has been heavily suppressed in Turkey. It was previously illegal to speak Kurdish in public in Turkey until the 1990s. Moreover, the Turkish government does not formally recognise the Hawar alphabet, although in 2013, the letters Q, W and X (commonly used in Kurmanji and Sorani Kurdish dialects) were legalised for use in official documents (such as ID cards), publishing and advertising.
Sorani
Another of the Kurdish dialects spoken by refugees in Turkey is Sorani. Like Kurmanji, Sorani is a subject-verb-object (SVO) language. In contrast to Kurmanji, the Sorani dialect utilises a Persian-Arabic alphabet, like Farsi, and does not use a gender distinction. This dialect is spoken primarily by Iranian and Iraqi refugees in Turkey, and to some extent by Syrian refugees.
Learning the Turkish language
In order to enable refugees to gain better language skills, The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), has been offering individuals the opportunity to learn basic Turkish language skills. With a particular focus on younger people, the classes offer valuable lessons which will enable ease of living in Turkey. Many refugees have already benefited from the project and have reported that learning Turkish has made them feel more included in society, with communication becoming easier. With this in mind, multiple new opportunities are arising, resulting in a better quality of life for the refugees of Turkey.
In Conclusion
While most of the refugees in Turkey are from Syria and are speakers of the North Levantine Arabic and North Mesopotamian Arabic dialects, Arabic is not necessarily the lingua franca of all refugees in Turkey. In fact, a significant number of refugees in Turkey are speakers of the Kurdish languages (like Kurmanji and Sorani), as well as the Farsi and Dari languages. Therefore, translators and interpreters for humanitarian agencies in Turkey, and other countries that have taken in refugees, should be equipped to communicate in a variety of languages, rather than just Arabic.